Tom Petty Biography

Admirably made a glittering return to music scene with numerous critics' praise directed to his third solo album, “Highway Companion”, Tom Petty seemingly has not only poured down all of his musical talents and skills to turn the year into another great period to pass through, but also his whole energy as well for dates of his 2006 U.S tour alongside the Heartbreakers keeps being added to satisfy his fans across the country for sure. Already carried out the first leg rather velvety from June 9 to July 3, this veteran rock artist next sets to continue his journey in the second leg of the tour, first going to Portland, Oregon on July 29 before making stops to other cities like Seattle, Houston, Detroit, Hartford, and Camden until August 18. After a less-than-one-month break, the third leg will begin on September 14 in Chicago then spreading to Austin, Gainesville, Los Angeles, San Diego, Berkeley plus Glendale where it will be wrapped up on October 4 with John Mayer as the opening act.

Born Thomas Earl Petty on October 20, 1950 in Gainesville, Florida, Tom initially began developing his flair in music during his teens through frequent self-trainings either at home or fall-out shelter located in the backyard of his family's residence yet the thought of becoming a musician originally had never passed into his mind at that time though. All then started to change when Elvis Presley suddenly made a stop at a neighboring city of Ocala to film his 1962 vehicle of “Follow That Dream” and upon watching the megastar performing, the boy was so struck by his charisma that an inspiration to follow the singer's trail subsequently took roots within him. First drawing from the ranks of his friends at Gainesville High School to form The Sundowners which later led into the establishment of Mudcrutch, he, alongside the personnel, at last managed to secure a record deal with fledgling label Shelter Records to afterwards delightfully see the band's single, “Depot Street”, hit the market in 1974.